King Edward VI Preparatory School UPPER PREP HANDBOOK 2026/2027
WELCOME In Upper Prep, we recognise that children are growing into young adults and our role is to support, guide and enhance this development. We focus on the whole child: combining academic rigour and thorough exam preparation with exceptional pastoral care and formative experiences that will stay with them for life. This unique time is an opportunity for children to grow into curious learners who are excited by the opportunities KES Prep can provide. From extended residentials to an end-of-year performance, children flourish as confident, caring individuals who are starting to understand who they really are. At KES Prep, we see our community as one big family, and offer the chance for children to learn from mistakes, grow and learn in an environment that is focused on finding the talents and interests of every child. Our children leave KES Prep ready to face the challenges of their next steps - sad to leave, but always ready to take on their next adventure. Miss Kirstin Andrews Head of Upper Prep
CONTENTS
UPPER PREP TEAM
4
THE CURRICULUM IN UPPER PREP
5
LEARNING IN UPPER PREP
6
PASTORAL CARE
7
DAILY ROUTINE
8
ASSESSMENT
10
WAYS TO HELP AT HOME
11
MEDICAL
12
GENERAL INFORMATION
13
COMMUNICATION
14
PARENT PORTAL
15
KPA & CLASS REPS
16
INSPECTION REPORT AND POLICIES
17
MAP OF SCHOOL
18
UNIFORM
19
SPORT
21
HEAD’S RECOMMENDATION & VALUES
26
THE UPPER PREP TEAM The team are looking forward to welcoming your family to KES Prep and getting to know your child. Making school a happy place depends on many things, but one of the most important is the adults within it. We have an experienced, energised and talented team, who welcome the children with broad smiles. Our children know that their teachers notice them and they feel reassured and safe. Each year team has dedicated form tutors and learning support assistants, however the children will interact with all staff within the department. We operate an open-door policy and we are here to help. If you would like to discuss something in detail, please contact us via email to make an appointment.
THE CURRICULUM We have a lively curriculum designed to inspire young minds. We believe that the children learn best when they are finding out for themselves and learning from mistakes. Each half term, a curriculum overview will be sent to you, explaining what your child is learning and allowing you to support your child at home with their learning. Upper Prep Form Tutors will provide consistency, care and excellence in teaching the core subjects: English, Maths, Computing and Digital Literacy, and Discovery, a thematic approach that combines the subjects of Science, Engineering, History, Geography and Religious Studies. The children are taught by specialist teachers for Performing Arts, Art, Craft and Design, Languages, Games, PE and Outdoor Education. The children will move to subject-based classrooms for some of these lessons. Rooms include a Sports Hall, STEAM Pod, Performing Arts classroom, Dance and Drama Studio and Cookery Room.
The day-to-day curriculum is enriched through trips, visitors and whole-school events such as Languages Day and STEAM Week, where pupils take part in themed activities that provide inspiration and encourage collaboration. Our facilities offer a wide range of exciting indoor and outdoor learning areas. We also have use of an outdoor swimming pool, library, riding arena, tennis courts, adventure playground, dance and drama studio and cookery room.
LEARNING IN UPPER PREP We know all our children extremely well: what makes them tick, where their strengths lie and where they need support. We carefully plan their educational experience to inspire them to aim high and be all that they can be. We believe variety is key to making school fascinating. Give children lots of different ways to experience learning and they will thrive and be hungry to learn more. Our children become more powerful learners through our 5c’s approach, which concentrates on learning dispositions. The 5c’s are thoughtfully woven into every aspect of life at KES Prep. The 5c’s are: Collaborative, Curious, Creative, Considered and Committed.
We have an experienced, energetic and talented team who welcome the children with warmth and a strong family ethos. Our children know that their teachers notice them and feel reassured and safe. Our smaller class sizes mean we have more time to teach, discuss and support each pupil. It also means we are able to adapt to the children’s individual needs. Prep, also known as homework, will be set in accordance with your child’s age. A separate prep timetable can be found on your child’s reading and homework diary. We see homework as a chance for children to practise doing a little bit of work at home and remembering to bring it back to school, in preparation for senior school. Music and Speech & Drama lessons, also known as Extras, are available from Year 3 upwards, and Year 2 from the Summer Term. These will take place during the school day on a rota to ensure your child does not always miss the same curriculum lesson each week. Extras can be booked via a form that will be available in the school bulletin.
PASTORAL CARE For the children, we have distilled all that is important to us at KES Prep into our three values for how we do it here: Keep Growing. Lift Others. Do The Right Thing. FORM TUTORS Your child’s form tutor is their main point of contact. They are responsible for your child’s welfare in school and should be your first port of call if you have any questions or
PREFECTS
concerns. As appropriate, this will then be shared with the Head of Upper Prep or the appropriate Senior Leadership member of staff. WELLBEING Each day begins with an extended form-time and this will allow us to ensure that pupil wellbeing takes a central role in our weekly timetable. During these morning Wellbeing sessions, we run whole school assemblies, teach our PSHEE and Citizenship curriculums and enjoy other activities to maintain our strong sense of community
In Year 6, all children are given the leadership responsiblity of becoming a Prefect. Prefects take on extra responsibilities, such as dining room duties, supporting in assemblies and in some co-curricular clubs. They will also offer support in House Family events and sit on Pupil Voice forums.
across the school. HOUSES Each child is allotted a House: Bulldogs, Greyhounds or Terriers. They collect House Points for their house and compete in house events throughout the year. Year 6 House Captains are responsible for leading their house in assemblies, running events and helping to build morale.
At the end of Year 5, children have the opportunity to apply for some specific Prefect roles. These include Heads of School, Head of House and Sports, Library, Performing Arts and School Council Captains.
DAILY ROUTINE 07:45 - 08:15
Breakfast in the Dining Room (no booking required)
08:15 - 08:30
Early Birds in the Nominated Upper Prep Classroom
08:30 - 08:45
Upper Prep Classrooms Open / Morning Registration
08:45 - 10:45
Morning Session
10:45 - 11:05
Playtime and Snack
11:05 - 12:05
Morning Session
12:05 - 13:15
Lunch in the Dining Room, followed by playtime
Upper Prep form rooms are located in Highwood House. 13:15 - 13:20
Afternoon Registration
The school day is from 08:30 until 16:00 Monday to Friday . Wraparound care is available from 07:45 - 17:30 daily.
13:20 - 15:50
Afternoon Session
15:50 - 16:00
Snack Time / Home Time
If you arrive at school later than registration, we ask that
After School Clubs (booked before the start of term via the Parent Portal)
If you need to collect your child during the school day,
16:00 - 17:30
you register your child at the School Office.
please collect children from the School Office.. KES Club (needs to be booked via the Parent Portal)
BREAKFAST CLUB Breakfast Club (for which there is an extra charge) is held in the Dining Room. It begins at 07:45 and finishes at 08:15. There is no need to sign-up in advance; your child is welcome to join us on the day. SNACK Children may bring in a healthy snack for morning break. If your child is staying for Prep, KES Club or after school clubs, they should bring a second snack/tea. KES Prep is Allergy Aware, pupils are specifically asked not to bring snacks to school that contain nuts or traces of nuts. Please also send your child with a reusable plastic water bottle each day. LUNCH The kitchen caters for all dietary needs. We offer a range of foods, which we encourage the children to try. Should your child have specific dietary requirements, please email Matron and inform your child’s form tutor. A weekly menu is posted in the weekly bulletin. END OF THE DAY At 16:00, children are dismissed by their form tutors from the front of the Main House. At 16:10, any children who have not been collected, will be sent to KES Club. If you wish for someone other than a parent to collect your child, please inform the School Office. KES CLUB This is an opportunity for children to complete their homework at school or take part in calm activities. KES Club is available everyday from 16:00 to 17:30. Children can sign-up each day in registration. Late collection between 17:30 and 17:45 will be from the Main House Hall. CLUBS Information and details on clubs, including booking, is available on the Parent Portal. Clubs normally start at 16:00 and finish at 17:00. Pupils will be dismissed from the club location. SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORT The school operates a fleet of mini buses. The bus routes are altered each year depending on parental need; please contact the School Office for further details and booking. Places are booked on a termly basis.
ASSESSMENT Your child’s progress will be continually assessed throughout the academic year. This will be through informal, day-to-day observations and more formal summative assessments at the end of units, at the end of each term and at the end of the academic year. In the Autumn Term, pupils will participate in online assessments. They will also sit some summative online assessments in English, Maths and Science in the Summer Term. These will help form a judgement about your child’s progress from the previous year. Reports are sent home at the end of the Autumn and Spring Term, along with personalised targets for each child. At the end of the academic year, a full report is sent home with attainment and attitude to learning grades. There are regular evenings set aside for parents to discuss pupils’ progress with members of staff. Individual learning needs are supported by the Learning Support Department, where staff liaise closely with class teachers and parents to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to succeed.
WAYS TO HELP AT HOME Reading with your child is vital. Research shows it is the single most important thing you can do to help your child’s education. It is best to read little and often, so try to put some time aside every day. Think of ways to make reading fun - you want your child to learn how pleasurable books can be. If your child is enjoying talking about the content of a particular page, linger over it is long as you like! Audio books are a great option and particularly useful on long journeys! It is also important to show how we use Maths skills in our everyday lives and to involve your child in this. Identifying problems and solving them can also help your child develop their Mathematics skills. Talk about different shapes around the home, let your child handle money and work out how much things cost or the change from a purchase. Play games such as bingo to speed up instant recall of numbers and number facts. Encourage everyday counting as steps, jumps or skips in times tables, both forwards and backwards. We use a range of websites to support your child’s learning and these will be available for your child to use for extra practice.
MEDICAL If your child is unwell, please fill in the absence request form on the
If your child has sickness or diarrhoea, they must be 48 hours
Parent Portal: https://my.kes-prep.school/login
clear of the last symptoms before returning to school. Children who are unwell and have a high temperature (>38 degrees),
School nurses are available during term time (8.30-4.30pm) and will
should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where
attend your child as required and, if necessary, they will contact you to
they can, to reduce the spread of infection. They can return to
discuss the best course of action.
school when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.
Medicines, including anti-histamine, paracetamol and ibuprofen preparations, will only be administered to children when there is
KES Prep School is Allergy Aware and caters for pupils with a
permission to do so. If your child requires medication whilst at school,
wide range of medical needs, including, but not limited to, nut
their medicine should be given to one of our school nurses in the
and peanut, egg, wheat, dairy allergies and gluten intolerance
medical room. A short-term medical needs administration of
(Coeliac). We also cater for a wide range of cultural dietary
medication form must be completed. Please see Matron for these
requirements. Parents are requested to attach an ingredient label
forms, or they can also be collected from the school office.
on all food brought on site that may be shared or sold for charity events or brought in for celebrations i.e. birthdays and handed
Any prescribed medication needs to be sent in its original packaging
over to the form teacher. Foodstuffs containing nuts should not
with prescription label.
be brought on site to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
If your child is prescribed antibiotics, please ensure they have their first dose at home, depending on the reason for antibiotics they may need to have 24hours of the course before returning to school. Please discuss this with Matron before your child comes into school.
Water bottles
Birthdays
Sun Protection
Your child is allowed to drink water
Birthdays are important days for the
whenever they require throughout the
children and we enjoy sharing these
day and we ask that your child brings
special days with them.
On sunny days, ‘once a day’ sunscreen should be applied at home prior to coming to school. However we would also ask that you send in a named bottle of sunscreen so that your child may re-apply it later on in the day, especially after swimming.
a reusable plastic water bottle to school everyday. Water bottles are
Children are welcome to bring in cakes
available from Stevensons. These
or sweets for their birthday. These
should only contain water and be
items must have an ingredient label
clearly named.
attached as we have children with life threatening allergies, in accordance with our allergy awareness policy. These must be passed to the class teacher who will hand them out at the end of the day, to be eaten at home. No sweets are to be taken on day trips or residential visits.
If possible we would ask that sunscreen products containing any nut oil are not sent into school. Children should bring in their school hats.
COMMUNICATION KES Prep is a vibrant school, with lots happening every week. We share our exciting news stories in the following media: The KES Prep Bulletin A round up of all information and news is emailed to parents every Friday evening, replacing individual letters. This also contains essential information about the following week and upcoming events. Tapestry We also use an online learning journey and will send you observations about your child via this. You will be sent an email explaining this further, along with a link to follow. News Stories & Social Media News stories as they happen for you to share with your friends and family can be accessed on our website or social media channels. Visit our latest news here
PARENT PORTAL The KES Prep Parent Portal provides direct information to families about their child and the school. Inside this secure area, parents can access information about the school, such as the calendar, as well as child specific information including timetables and school reports. Parents’ evenings, clubs and after school care are all booked through this system. Please report your child absent from school or request a leave of absence on the home page. The Portal can be found at https://my.kes-prep.school/login. When joining the school, you will be sent the link to register and the details to log in for the first time. Please note: this will be sent within the first week of the summer holidays.
KES PREP ASSOCIATION (KPA) Every parent automatically becomes a member of the KES Prep Association (KPA). Our aim is to organise social events for the children, families and staff to help build the strong community and friendships that make KES Prep such a special place. All the funds we raise from events such as the Christmas Fayre are used to fund projects for the benefit of the children. If you are interested in helping the KPA, please join the KPA Volunteers group on Classlist, or email us on thessacommittee@gmail.com if you would like more information about joining the committee.
CLASS REPS Class Reps are separate to the KPA and are overseen by the Heads of Department. The Heads of Department will request volunteers to act as Class Reps each September. The Class Reps will ideally change each year to give a wide range of parents the opportunity to get involved in the life of the school, and ideally parents will not be a Class Rep for more than one year group, for the same reason. Class Reps will help to remind parents about year group and class activities and events, support the teachers in gathering volunteers for family events and meet with the Head of Department each term to discuss ideas for the year groups within the department.
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTION REPORT We are delighted to share our Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) school inspection report with you. This is the culmination of five years of hard work from the staff team, building on the success of the last report in February 2024. ISI inspections now look to determine whether schools meet the standards in five key areas: Leadership And Management, And Governance Quality Of Education, Training And Recreation Pupil’s Physical And Mental Health And Emotional Wellbeing Pupil’s Social And Economic Education And Contribution To Society Safeguarding A copy of the full inspection report can be found on our website: https://prep.kes.school/19/isi-inspection-report
POLICIES All of our school policies can be found on the KES Prep School website: https://prep.kes.school/402/policies
KES PREP MAP 3
9
6
2
5
1
14
15
Key Facilities: 1 2 3 4 5
School Reception Highwood House Nursery Pre-Prep Lower Prep
6 Prep Library 7 ASD Sports Hall 8 Dining Room 9 Matron 10 Performing Arts
11 Forest School 12 Riding Arena 13 STEAM Centre 14 Wellbeing Centre 15 PE Office
UNIFORM Uniform A and B KES Prep school coat
KES Prep baseball cap
King Edward VI blazer
Wellies and welly socks
Black leather shoes
KES Prep or navy woolly hat, navy gloves and KES Prep scarf (optional)
KES Prep tie *
Plastic water bottle
KES Prep JNR backpack
*Year 6 pupils will be presented with a prefect tie by the school
Uniform A - WINTER
Uniform B - WINTER
KES Prep tunic OR KES tartan school skirt
Navy trousers - straight leg fit
KES Prep cardigan (with tunic) OR KES v-neck jumper (with skirt)
KES Prep v-neck jumper
Collared, long or short sleeve blouse
Collared, long or short sleeve shirt
Navy tights or navy knee high socks
Navy ankle socks
Uniform A - SUMMER
Uniform B - SUMMER
KES Prep summer dress
Navy tailored shorts - not cargo style
KES Prep cardigan
KES Prep v-neck jumper
Maroon purse belt (optional and also available from stockists online)
Collared short sleeve shirt
Navy ankle socks
Navy ankle socks
All KES Prep Branded items are to be purchased from Stevensons. Whilst some items are optional, we do ask that unbranded alternatives are not worn.
Please Note: • Where there is a uniform A and B, these should not be worn in combination on any given day • The change to Summer uniform is after Easter, and the Summer uniform can be worn up to October half term. The Winter uniform must be worn between October half term and the Easter break. • Children with long hair should have it tied back with simple navy ties, headbands or hair clips. LOST PROPERTY Please ensure all uniform is clearly labelled with your child’s name. Lost property will be collected and stored in cupboards on the mezzanine floor in the ASD. Please look here for any items misplaced. UNIFORM SUPPLIER: STEVENSONS All KES Prep Branded items are to be purchased from Stevensons. You can order from Stevensons in the following ways: 1. Order online at www.stevensons.co.uk To register, enter ‘King Edward VI Preparatory School’, select and follow instructions. 2. Shop in store. For expert fitting advice and a range of other school essentials’ visit our Bournemouth branch; open 9.00am-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. 148-150 Seabourne Road, Bournemouth, BH5 2JA T: 01202 425192 E: bournemouthbranch@stevensons.co.uk 3. Telephone orders Call Customer Services Department on 01727 853262 and choose option 1. Available 9.00am-5.30pm Monday-Friday and 9.00am-5pm on Saturdays. Items will be posted to your home address. Nearly new uniform items can be purchased via Matron.
SPORT IN UPPER PREP We deliver an enriched and inclusive sports programme, providing pupils with the opportunity to participate in both inter and intra-school sport as they progress up the school. Enjoyment and inclusion at all levels of competition are central to our ethos. We are extremely proud of the range of opportunities and our performance pathways, empowering pupils to learn, develop and thrive beyond their expectations. All pupils are encouraged to do their best, whatever their level of sporting ability, and we celebrate each individual journey. Pupils are taught by specialist sports staff, and are supported by wider school staff for fixtures, tournaments and festivals. Our departmental aim is to enhance the pupils’ exposure to a range of sports and activities, enabling them to develop a lifelong love of sport and well-being. Sport at KES Prep aims to: Provide opportunities for all, regardless of ability Develop enjoyment, creativity, teamwork, discipline, respect, independence and sportsmanship Encourage team spirit and identity Promote the importance of physical fitness and exercise Mr J Parker Director of Sport
Develop physical, psychological, tactical, and technical skills Develop skilful, committed, competitive and intelligent performers Introduce a wide variety of sports to build confidence and a platform for the future Promote links with local sports clubs to support pupils’ development
FACILITIES
Wellington Sports Ground Wellington Sports Ground is shared with King Edward VI School, Southampton, and consists of 33 acres of playing fields, six tennis courts, four netball courts and a full-size water based astro, allowing the school to host large tournaments and play a range of schools on a regular basis. A large pavilion with eighteen changing rooms, a kitchen and catering facilities for over one hundred pupils is also located on-site. Main Field Our main field, set at the entrance of our rural green environment with the backdrop of the main house, hosts five football pitches, seven rugby pitches, two all-weather cricket fields and outdoor cricket nets. There is also an all-weather synthetic long jump track and grass running track for athletics Sports Hall The school has a full-size sports hall equipped with a large viewing gallery, changing rooms indoor cricket nets, a netball court, a basketball court and four badminton courts. Outside the building, we have two netball courts and two tennis courts. Swimming Pool KES Prep has a heated outdoor swimming pool which is used during the first half of the Autumn Term and throughout Summer Term. IAPS KES Prep is a member of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), and we proudly host the IAPS U11 Regional Rugby Festival, U11 Regional Netball Tournament, and U11 Regional Cricket Tournament at Wellington Sports Ground.
UPPER PREP GIRLS SPORTS KIT Girls’ Lower and Upper Prep - Year 3 - 6
Term Required
KES Prep house polo shirt (red, yellow, blue)
All
KES Prep games shirt
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep mid-layer
All
KES Prep tracksuit top (waterproof storm jacket)
All
Navy lycra / cotton fitted shorts
All
KES Prep skort
All
KES Prep cricket polo
Summer
Cricket trousers
Summer
Navy swimwear (costume)
Autumn / Summer
KES Prep team games socks
Autumn / Spring
White sports socks
All
Accessories and Equipment
Term Required
Indoor and outdoor trainers
All
Football / rugby boots (optional)
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep holdall / kitbag
All
Shin pads & mouthguard
Autumn / Spring
Hockey stick (optional)
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep base layer / skins / leggings
All
Cricket pads, helmet and bat (optional)
Summer
Athletic spikes (optional)
Summer
Towel
All
Sliders / flip flops / crocs
Autumn / Summer
UPPER PREP BOYS SPORTS KIT Boys’ Lower and Upper Prep - Year 3 - 6
Term Required
KES Prep house polo shirt (red, yellow, blue)
All
KES Prep games shirt
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep mid-layer
All
KES Prep tracksuit top (waterproof storm jacket)
All
Navy lycra / cotton fitted shorts
All
KES Prep games shorts
All
KES Prep cricket polo
Summer
Cricket trousers
Summer
Navy swimwear (shorts)
Autumn / Summer
KES Prep team games socks
Autumn / Spring
White sports socks
All
Accessories and Equipment
Term Required
Indoor and outdoor trainers
All
Football / rugby boots
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep holdall / kitbag
All
Shin pads & mouthguard
Autumn / Spring
Hockey stick (optional)
Autumn / Spring
KES Prep base layer / skins / leggings
All
Cricket pads, helmet and bat (optional)
Summer
Athletic spikes (optional)
Summer
Towel
All
Sliders / flip flops / crocs
Autumn / Summer
All KES Prep Branded items are to be purchased from Stevensons. Naming Sports Kit Please label kit with only your child’s initial and surname. All items of clothing need to be clearly named with woven name tape, indelible marker or printed labels. Shoes, trainers and boots named with indelible ink or printed label. Sports Kit - Look Smart, Feel Smart We believe looking smart sends a strong statement about togetherness and shared endeavour in the pursuit of excellence at all levels of competition. Sports kit should be worn with pride, encouraging children to feel pride in themselves as well as the school. Please ensure you child is always equipped with the correct kit for lessons and fixtures each week. Upper Prep Fixtures (U10, U11) Upper Prep enjoy a balanced fixtures schedule, including tournaments and festivals against other schools. Lessons include mixed ability training, as well as higher, intermediate and foundation level group training. They will play more frequently and more competitively as they progress through the school. Games are usually played in ability groups (A,B,C etc). Our intention for all teams is to play, where possible, against an opposition of a similar strength for a positive and safe experience. Children in Upper Prep will have the opportunity to participate in county, regional and national tournaments. Selection for these events is limited, but children in Year 5 and 6 are eligible to participate. Please regularly check the sports website for updates and changes to fixtures, which can be found via https://sport.kes-prep.school
HEAD’S RECOMMENDATION In the Autumn Term, following another academic review, all parents are invited to meet with Mrs Smith, Mrs Kirwin or Mr Brett following the latest ‘CAT4’ tests, to discuss future school choices and the Head’s Recommendation for KES Senior. Head’s Recommendations will be offered in the Summer Term, for those pupils who have reached the appropriate level. For KES Prep pupils we are looking for standardised scores of around 105+ with a good level of independent writing and ‘social and emotional readiness.’ In the Autumn Term of Year 6, the admissions processes begin for a wider range of schools that KES Prep feeds to, including state schools, grammar schools and other independent schools. In October, final deferred decisions will be made regarding Head’s Recommendations. Any pupils who have not received a Recommendation will be able to sit the entrance exams on a competitive basis in January. Mr Brett leads the future schools process and will keep you informed about the requirements for the specific schools you are interested in. Final school choices must be made by March. Pupils who are not quite at the Head’s Recommendation level in just one area may have the Head’s Recommendation decision deferred until October half term in Year 6 to allow for further progress to be made.
The KES 2-18 Learning Philosophy Our learning philosophy is the fundamental basis for our curriculum, pedagogy and teacher development. Every person at KES should aspire to and embrace the i3 learning goals, facilitated and inspired by our teaching.
Inquisitive learning
Intrinsic motivation
Independent minds
Teachers nurture pupils’ curiosity and question asking skills
Pupils develop a lifelong natural drive that comes from within
Pupils become critical and creative thinkers who can make great sense of the world and themselves